The Gold House Gala in Los Angeles brings together celebrated Asian Pacific American figures, including stars, industry leaders, athletes, and influencers, to honor their achievements. Attendees of the A-100, a group of prominent AAPI changemakers impacting culture and society, make their presence known on the “gold” carpet.
Among the many honored at Saturday’s event was “Wicked” director John Chu.
“This is my family. We’ve known each other for so long. There’s so many people here, so to see it grow to this level is amazing,” Chu said.
The cast of “Moana 2,” led by Auli’i Kravalho, is being recognized for bringing Pacific Islander storytelling mainstream.
“I see more and more Pacific Islander talent every year that I attend, and it makes my heart so happy,” said Kravalho.
Judging who gets to be part of the distinguished A-100 list is no easy task.
“Each year it feels like we’re recognizing everyone, but that’s not the reality. There are always new remarkable individuals deserving acknowledgement,” stated ABC7’s David Ono, who participated as a judge for Gold House.
The dazzling gold carpet welcomed a host of celebrities such as Mindy Kaling, director Andrew Ahn, musician HER, Olympian Kristi Yamaguchi, and Aryan Simhadri from “Percy Jackson.” Additionally, Daniel Dae Kim paid tribute to the martial arts classic “Game of Death” and celebrated the 25th anniversary of “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.”
“It’s an iconic movie, it follows in the footsteps of Bruce Lee,” said Kim.
But which A-lister is the Asian with the most persuasion?
“Oh good question… Poorna. Poorna, definitely Poorna,” said Asif Ali, who stars in the “Deli Boys.”
“John M. Chu, right, for us in entertainment, he’s someone behind the camera that is also living his dream,” actress and “Mandalorian” star Ming-Na Wen said
“Probably me,” said actor Utkarsh Ambudkar, who stars in the popular show “Ghosts.”
“Haha…I don’t know Mulan,” said Icelandic singer-songwriter and musician Laufey.
Laufey performed and was honored for breaking barriers with her unique style.
“The goal was always to find kind of like a common ground between lots of different generations,” said Laufey.
“Yah. That’s the Gold house mission. We can all get along and we’re better together,” said Ali.
When asked if they had any advice for anyone wanting to rise to the top, Ambudkar said: “Show up, be prepared, don’t quit, that’s it, and learn everyone’s name.”
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